Bert
by JessicaRenee026
Summary: Suddenly Mal put it together. River was wet. Bert was a fish. Bert lived in water. A small bowl, but water none the less. re post. edited.


Title: No…it's Bert 

Author: Hadlee May

Disclaimer: All belongs to Joss and co…save for Bert…he really is mine…

Summary: Suddenly Mal put it together. River was wet. Bert was a fish. Bert lived in water. A small bowl, but water none the less.

Dedication: My beta fish, Gerard Robert Malcolm (and m y last name) other wise known as: Bert

AN: Edited. After reading one of my reviews...something about sentence fragements and the what not, I went back and made it, at leats I think, more sense making. Though I'm not to great on my grammar, I think it looks better...and it's longer. I also added a few more scenes, and added a what I think is: better ending.

so, enjoy.

**and begin.**

"Captain! Captain!" River Tam shrieked, her brown eyes wide, full of excitement and bewilderment, long dark hair flying behind her as she ran her way onto the bridge. Mal spun around in his chair. Alarmed at first, until he laid eyes on her. He fought the strong urge to roll his eyes and smirk at the sight of her. Her blue sun dress was slightly drenched in the middle, her the tips of her hair stringy. It looked as though she had just took a dive in the ocean, and didn't care to dry off.

Of course, what concerned the captain was that here was Serenity; passing through the vast nothingness of space, with closest ocean almost two months behind him.

"River? What'd you do, play in the sink or somethin'?" He asked.

It'd been a while since Miranda, and the big battle that had taken place after. River, he'd noticed, almost immediately, was better. She tended to speak more coherently, her words lacking the riddles that once riddled her speech. It was almost as though everything had suddenly silenced and she was becoming a version of who she'd been. She was almost a normal girl, save for outbursts like these.

"No. It's Bert." She stated, grinning widely at him.

Bert. He thought with a chuckle. The tiny blue fish he'd bought her on an outer rim planet. The lat planet they'd been on that had a massive water source. The dealer had said it was an easy pet to take care of. Didn't much like other fish like itself, but was fun and easy, and for the most part took care of it self…just change the water every once and a while and feed it. River had taken to it like horse took to hay. Named it Bert because the fish had requested it.

Then.

Suddenly Mal put it all together. River was wet. Bert was a fish. Bert lived in water. A small bowl, but water none the less.

"River…you weren't playing with your fish, right?" Captain asked, trying not to smile. At times she was so young.

"No. You have to come see this. I think he's learned a new trick." She lurched forward and grasped on to the captain's hand, her wet fingers closing in around much larger ones. Mal attempted to pull his hand away. He was perfectly content on following her himself…without her as a guide. This was his ship, after all. But she was relentless in her efforts and he was dragged mercilessly towards her room.

"You wont believe this." She pointed to the blue fish that rested peacefully at the bottom of his bowl, nestled on top of shiny blue stones as they entered the room. "I think he's fallen asleep."

He took his eyes off the fish for a moment to notice that most of his crew was assembled in her tiny room. Jayne sat disgruntled on the bed, while Simon sat on a small bench, a proud smile on his face. Zoe stood in a corner look downright impatient, and Kaylee who was near by the bowl was laughing with glee.

"She got you in her, to, eh?" Jayne asked, pointing at the fish. Mal nodded then looked at the fish.

"Yeah. Hey, look at that, I think you're right, little albatross" Mal tapped the bowl lightly. The fish barely stirred, save for the little wave of it's right fin. "That, or maybe you've fed it too much."

"Oh, aren't you the expert in fish now?" Jayne teased. Mal shot him a look, but it didn't stop Jayne who continued teasing him. Mal laughed lightly, ignoring it. Despite the continuous teasing he got for giving the gift, it wasn't something he'd take back. It gave River something to do, and gave him time alone.

Plus, after all it was a Captain's job to make his crew happy.

Then. "But River, that still doesn't explain why you're all wet."

--end--

AN: This was inspired by lying down outside while waiting for my aunt's dog to go "potty". I've been wanting to write a Firefly fiction and here it is. It sort of was a goal to capture River's childishness…which she tends to be at times…(you know a happy go lucky kid…something she never got to be)….and well…all other animals have been taken.

Oh and in this, I'm sort didn't imply it, but basically, fish are like not popular out in the other worlds…which makes this fish special, and makes it so fascinating…believe me…there are fish that sleep on the bottom of their tank (hehe mine does)

Anyways, please review. luv Hadlee


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